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College basketball which has seen its fair share of scandals over the past few years, has found itself entrenched in a new one involving another high profile coach and program. Rick Pitino coach of the Louisville Cardinals is under fire after a story by ESPN’s Outside the Lines (OTL) reported that sex parties were held for players and recruits during Pitino’s tenure. The report cited a former recruit stating, “…it was like a strip club.” In the report OTL also noted that there was a wire transfer from Andre McGee [Pitino’s former director of basketball operations] to an escort service along with text messages confirming the parties; those came from McGee’s cell phone.

Pitino claims to have no knowledge of what happened and he’s had no qualms with putting all the heat on McGee. He’s known and widely praised by the media as one of the best college basketball coaches in the country. I’m sorry, but you can’t have it both ways. You can’t be considered (by yourself and others) as one the greatest coaches in the country while not being completely involved and up-to-date on everything involving your program. If you’re a great coach (which Pitino is) then you’d make a point to keep yourself appraised to everyone that your players, coaches and staff interact with on and off the court.

Those that want to come to Pitino’s defense can go right ahead, but you’re wasting your time. This is Pitino’s second scandal since he began coaching for Louisville in 2001, and this one is much worse. It’s one thing to have an affair with one of your staffer’s wives, but it’s another thing entirely when a former staffer is holding illegal parties for recruits under your watch. I understand that there’s no concrete evidence that links Pitino to this scandal, but I find it very hard to believe that he knew absolutely nothing.

Rick Pitino is a Hall of Fame college basketball coach and is considered to be one the best of all-time. He’s also a world class sleaze-ball that should be fired from his position immediately. Whether he was directly or indirectly responsible for these parties, he knew something was going on. There’s no way that a coach who’s considered one of the greatest ever, doesn’t know all the ins and outs of his program. If it ever comes out that he really didn’t know about this, then he should lose his Hall of Fame credentials because a true Hall of Fame coach, would know everything that ensues within his program.